How Can We Encourage Young People to Grow Their Beards?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul Sami‘ al-Yaqti

Question

How can we encourage young people to grow their beards?

Answer

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Blessings and peace be upon the Master of the Messengers, his Family, and all his Companions.

Growing a beard is one of the practices encouraged by Islam and is mentioned in numerous authentic hadiths. Among them is the hadith of Ibn ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with them both), where the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

“Be different from the polytheists: let your beards grow and trim your mustaches.” Ibn Umar, when performing Hajj or ‘Umra, would grasp his beard and cut whatever exceeded a fist-length. [Bukhari]

Scholars have differed on whether this command implies obligation or recommendation. The majority of jurists, including some within the Shafi’i School, hold that shaving the beard is forbidden as it contradicts the prophetic command found in the hadiths. [al-Mawsu‘a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaytiyya]

However, the more correct view within the Shafi‘i School is that shaving the beard is disliked (makruh), and they interpret the command in the hadiths as a recommendation. [Qalyubi, Hashiyat al-Qalyubi]

Shaykh Bakri commented on Fath al-Mu‘in: “Regarding the statement ‘It is forbidden to shave the beard,’ the relied-upon view according to Ghazali, Ibn Hajar in Tuhfa, Ramli, Khatib, and others is that it is disliked.” [Bakri, I‘anat al-Talibin]

To encourage young people to grow their beards, we must adopt a method that makes it appealing to them. This can be achieved through the following steps:

Educating Them About the Reward and Virtue

Inform them about the rewards and virtues associated with fulfilling religious duties and divine commands in general. Explain that growing a beard is a visible sign of following the Sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and associating oneself with him. It also signifies opposing those who do not follow his way and sunna, as in the hadith of Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) where the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

“Trim the mustaches and let the beards grow; be different from the Majus (Zoroastrians).” [Muslim]

Highlighting Its Natural Beauty and Ornamentation for Men

Teach them that a beard is a natural form of beauty and adornment for men, as created by Allah. This is mentioned in the hadith of ‘Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) about the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace):

“Ten things are part of the natural disposition,” and among them, he mentioned, “letting the beard grow.” [Ibid.]

Emphasizing Its Symbol of Manhood

Make them aware that in the Muslim community, a beard is considered a symbol of manhood.

Leading by Example

Practically, the best way to encourage them is through the commitment of fathers or those responsible for young people to grow their own beards. This sets an example for the youth to follow.

Summary

As parents and guardians, we must use wisdom and good counsel in encouraging our youth to grow their beards. We should make it appealing and desirable by following the steps mentioned above and reinforcing their sense of belonging to Islam with all its outward and inward manifestations. We should also pray for their steadfastness, guidance, and success. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Abdul Sami‘ al-Yaqti

Shaykh Abdul Sami‘ al-Yaqti is a Syrian scholar born in Aleppo in 1977. He obtained his degree in Shari‘a from the Shari‘a Faculty of Damascus University, a Diploma in Educational Qualification from the Faculty of Education at Aleppo University, and a Diploma in Shari‘a and a Master’s in Shari‘a from the Faculty of Sharia, and Law at Omdurman University in Sudan. He is currently writing his doctoral thesis.

He studied under esteemed scholars such as Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri, Shaykh Mustafa al-Turkmani, and Shaykh Dr. Nur al-Din Itr, among others. Shaykh al-Yakti has worked in teaching and cultural guidance in orphanages and high schools in Aleppo. He served as an Imam, Khatib, and reciter at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi and as a certified trainer for Khatibs in Abu Dhabi’s Khatib Qualification Program.

He is involved in developing and teaching a youth education program at Seekers Arabic for Islamic Sciences.

Among Shaykh al-Yaqti’s significant works are “Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni: Bayna Ilm al-Kalam Wa Usul al-Fiqh” and the program “The Messenger of Allah Among Us (Allah bless him and give him peace).”